Latest steps taken by the Verkhovna Rada are capable of improving the situation in Ukraine - European Parliament President

President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz

STRASBOURG, January 29. /ITAR-TASS/. European parliament welcomes the Ukrainian government's decision to abolish the legislative acts, which the Verkhovna Rada passed on January 16, and it hopes the situation in Ukraine will improve after their abolition, Martin Schulz, the parliament President said Tuesday as he addressed the winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

He said the Europeans should prevent an escalation of violence in Ukraine and look for the opportunities to scale it down. In the light of the situation, the MEPs welcome the resolutions of the Verkhovna Rada as important steps capable of improving the situation.

Schulz said the MEPs would maintain contacts with their counterparts in Kiev.

He stressed the European Parliament's grave doubts as regards the possibility of settling the conflict in Ukraine through the use of force. The only way to do it is to keep up dialogue.

The Europeans have spoken about it with Russian representatives and they believe the Russians should use all the levers available to them for stopping the violence and maintaining the dialogue," he said addressing the members of Russian parliament who attended the session.